OF SELBORNE. 171 



in their favour, they do much mischief in gardens to 

 the summer fruits 4 . 



The titmouse, which early in February begins to 

 make two quaint notes, like the whetting of a saw, 

 is the marsh titmouse: the great titmouse sings with 

 three cheerful joyous notes, and begins about the same 

 time 5 . 



Wrens sing all the winter through, frost excepted. 



House martins came remarkably late this year both 



4 They eat also the berries of the ivy, the honeysuckle, and the 

 Euonymus Europceus, or spindle-tree. 



[I have seen a robin feed its young, which were reared in a conserva- 

 tory, entirely upon red currants. It used to alight on the ledge of the 

 window, and always brought one red currant in its bill. I do not think 

 they eat any other fruit, but they are troublesome in the hothouse. They 

 devoured last year every seed of Hcemanthus multiflorus and Grijfinia hya- 

 cinthinajust as they were ripening; and it is very difficult to save the ber- 

 ries of any Daphne from them. W. H.] 



[A redbreast which I had in a cage greedily devoured the berries of 

 Solatium Dulcamara, but would not touch those of privet. RENNIE.] 



5 Several species of the genus Parus congregate in clusters when at 

 roost. I have observed Par. ater and Par. caudatus in this state. On a 

 cold wintry night, if the moon is bright, they may be seen in the hedges 

 clinging together, having the appearance of a bundle of dried leaves. Par. 

 ater is said by Dr. Fleming to be a rare bird in England, but it appears 

 to be common in Hampshire. I have received a great number of speci- 

 mens from that county at various times ; and once had nine sent to me, 

 that were taken from a cluster by bird-batting, many having escaped 

 from the nets. 



The bottle tit sometimes builds near houses, though rarely. A pair 

 built in a large willow tree in a garden at Bayswater, close to the house, 

 and brought out a numerous brood of young that swarmed in at the bed- 

 room windows on the first day of their coming out from the nest : they 

 were very diminutive pretty creatures. It is to be remarked, that this 

 garden was sacred to birds : there were many nests in it, no one being 

 permitted to disturb them, and no cat being kept. 



Par. coeruleus is a very bold bird, and very destructive, particularly to 

 bees ; sitting on the stool, and tapping with its bill against the hive, as 

 soon as the bee comes forth to ascertain the cause of the disturbance, the 

 bird swallows it. 



I kept the Par. biarmicus in a cage last year. There were several 

 males and females together, which were exceedingly gentle and affec- 

 tionate ; caressing and feeding each other in the same manner as doves. 

 This was the more remarkable, as the period of incubation was past. 



Both Par. coeruleus and Par. major occasionally visit London. G. D 



